LINCOLN, Maine — Police Chief William Lawrence is the town’s interim town manager, officials said Tuesday.

The Town Council voted 6-0 during a special meeting Monday night to install Lawrence as Town Manager Lisa Goodwin’s temporary successor, Chairman Steve Clay said. Councilor Rod Carr was absent.

Councilors originally had planned to spread Goodwin’s responsibilities among town department heads until her permanent successor is found, but the town’s attorney told them late last week that the town charter required an interim appointment, Clay said. Councilors had asked the attorney a few weeks earlier whether the responsibility split conformed to the charter.

“When we split up Lisa’s responsibilities a few weeks ago, [Lawrence was tasked with handling] personnel so it made sense that he be the person to replace her,” Clay said.

Lawrence will get a temporary 10 percent pay increase, increasing his salary to what would be about $62,000 annually, as part of the deal, Lawrence said.

The chief doesn’t expect to be performing much more than a caretaker’s role, handling everyday operations and communication between councilors and town department managers, in the three or four months it might take to find a permanent manager.

“Lisa left the town in great shape,” Lawrence said. “She’s taken care of the budget and we have great department managers that know how to do their jobs.”

Besides managing Lincoln’s police force, Lawrence managed personnel as Pittsfield’s chief of police and helped handle personnel as a lieutenant in the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department, he said.

Lawrence likely will split his work time between the town manager’s office on Main Street and the public safety building on Adams Street, he said.